Container



G. A. MOORE May 15, 1945.

CONTAINER- Filed Feb. 27, 1943 11v VENTOR y Geo/: 6 fllayfoizfifoore A TTORNE K5 hitented May 15, 1945 STATES PATENT OFFICE The present invention relates to improvements in containers and packages for food products and the like and has particular reference to such articles made from a tubular formation where-,

in the end closures are hermetically sealed and extend outwardly and downwardly from the con tainer adjacent side walls to which they are ultimately sealed after the particular commodity has been incorporated therein.

The present invention is a continuation-inpart of my copending application filed March 3, 1943, Serial No. 477,821, which is directed to the conversion of packaging'materials into lamihated and scored tubular formations for shipmerit in flat condition, subsequently to be erected by the packager into squared cartons, filled with a commodity adapted thereto and made into hermetically sealed packagesreadily usable by the ultimate consumer.

A principal object of the present invention is the provision of a container or package having end closures with hermetically sealed seams free from surplus infolds and consequent additional thicknesses at the" ends of the mouth of the seam which will more efliciently maintain an hermetic seal, utilize the surplus folds of the end extensions by extending them oppositely outwardly, applying to their under surfaces a thermoplastic adhesive and thermally sealing them to their adjacent side panel.

More specifically, it is an object of the present invention to provide end closures in a container or package made from a blank of cardboard reinforcing material having adhesively secured thereto a liner of laminated sheet material which consists of a ply of suitable thermoplastic material and a ply of suitable fibrous material and which extends beyond the edges of .-the cardboard blank, the same being made into "by the end panels with blanks which are scored to define side and end panels and providing the same with end closures formed the marginal extension passing between the edges of the end thereafter being formed into a tube panels. where they are thermally united to form an end 45 closure hermetically sealed with extension folds article hereinafter described and the scope of. the application of which will be indicated in the claims.

For a fuller understanding of the nature and object of the invention reference should be -had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanyin drawing, in

which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a blank adapted tab;

folded into tubular formation;

Fig. 2 is an end view of the folded blank;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing a further step in the development of the tubular formation after sealing the blank;

Fig. 4 is an isometric view of the blank in Fig. 3 opened up into squared position;

.Ffig. 5 is an isometric view showing the manher of manually'bringing' together the end ex-' tensions in the formation of the seam;

Fig. 6 is an end elevation of a fragmentary portion of the upper half of a container, partly in section and illustrating the heat-sealing operation;

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 6 showing a cross-sectional view of the upper part of a closed package illustrating the direction of fold of the seam; a

Fi 8 is a fragmentary cross-sectional elevation of the upper corner of a container illustrat ing the application oflieat to the under surface of an extended portion; I Fig. 9 is a view similar to Fig. 8 depicting the manner in which the extension is adhesively united an adjacent end panel or wall; and

package.

Referring more particularly to Fig. 1 of the drawin8 there is indicated generally at H a composite blank of material made in accordance with the method set forth in my above mentioned copending application. 'I'his'composite blank consists of a fibrous blank of material such as, forv example, cardboard II, which is adhesively affixed to a laminated sheet i3 which consists of a whichhas been surface treated with a thermoplastic material, and a web of fibrous reinforcin material such as paper or the like. It will be observed that the laminated sheet. extends marginally beyond the edges of thecardboard blank l2. The resulting composite blank is provided with parallel score lines which define side panels ultimately forming the side walls of a container or package and end panels which form parts of the top and bottom thereof. There are Fig. 1 is an isometric view of a completed web of thermoplastic material or a material.

also provided diagonal score lines which together with a section of one of the parallel score lines define an area which is generally triangular in configuration. That portion of the triangle formed by the section of the parallel line defines the base of the triangle as indicated at Hi. It is important to note that for ease and facility in squaring the container and folding the end closures in proper position the score lines are all impressed so that they bulge outwardly with the exception, however, that the base line of the triangular area I6 is oppositely impressed so as to be directed inwardly of the container ultimately to be formed.

It wil1 also be seen that an application of a hot melt adhesive has been made to the cardboard portion by imprinting thereupon such an adhesive in predetermined areas. This is done exactly in the manner set forth in my co-pending application except that a different pattern is used to apply the adhesive in different areas.

Marginally along the cardboard an application is the central one of the parallel line 14 with.

the thermoplastic sheet of material in face-toface relationship with respect to itself. The. marginal portions, as indicated by the arrows in Fig. 2, are then brought together and by the application preferably of heat and pressure the two marginal portions are welded together, folded over upon a marginal portion of the cardboard blank as indicated in Fig. 3 and thereafter by similar application of heat and pressure which activates the hot melt adhesive I! the seam is thermally affixed to the marginal portion of the cardboard side wall and a longitudinal seam is formed. As more fully described in my other application. it is in this knocked-down and collapsed form that the resulting tube is shipped to the packer to be erected into squared position as shown in Fig. 4.

It. will be observed by reference to Fig. 3 that there might be an optional modification with respect to certain kinds of tubular formations. There is indicated at IS a tape which can be applied to the longitudinal seam or to overlap the same completely and itself be afllxed to adjacent areas of the cardboard side wall. The tape is shown broken off in Fig. 5. This optional form of reinforced container is particularly ad vantageous in the reinforcement of very large sized containers and particularly those which are to carry commodities such as, for example, paint, oil and other of the heavier liquids. In the case of paint, for example, this tape could be of a color representing the paint within the package. Likewise, for certain types of commodity packing, a

tape band could pass around the package on two sides and two ends for decorative and display in thermoplastic face-to-face relationship as in the case of the longitudinal seam formation, free of gathers or wrinkles. The action of the fingers is practically instantaneous in forming this closure. A single motion of the fingers squeezing the end panels and the extending portions of the tube, together bring about this relationship. It will be seen by reference to Fig. 6 that the end closure for the formation of an hermetically sealed seam in this area can readily be effected. The contracted end of the container can easily be pushed between the sealing irons therein illustrated and the upward thrust of the container will also aid in throwing the end panels of the container down into position whereupon the closing of the sealing irons, because of the heat and pressure applied to the ends of the container, will bring them together thermoplastically and effect an hermetic seal like that shown in Fig.

5. It will be observed that there are no infolds in this end closure formation, as in the case in my copending application. On the contrary, the seam is brought together without any surplus layers of the sheet material between the seam in the end of the mouth opening. Instead of being folded inwardly, the surplus material in the fold is folded outwardly to provide extension 2|, which extends outwardly and oppositely away from the adjacent side of the panel. After the formation of this seam the same is folded over in either direction against one or the other of the end panels to' form an end closure and because of the application of thermoplastic adhesive I8 within the triangular portion of the cardboard reinforcing blank, as defined by the score lines, the entire end closure can be sealed in this position. This i's done by having a hot plate 22 brought closely in contact with the under surface of the fold where the surplus extends away from the carton, as indicated in Fig. 8. The hot plate is so applied as to radiate heat directly into the hot melt adhesive. on the triangular under surface. This adhesive is quickly activated so that it is only necessary to press the extending portion downwardly and inwardly against the panel or end wall of the container or package adjacent to it whereby it is securely fastened thereto. The hot melt adhesive sets quickly, in fact almost instantly. The ultimate package shown in Fig. 10 it will be seen provides an end closure which is unlike the end closure in my previous application not thermally sealed across the top, but merely by havingthe surplus material extend outwardly, applying the adhesive' to the under surfaces of the outward extensions and thereafter pressing them in contact with the adjacent panels the end closures are adequately fixed in position.

There are a number of distinct advantages in this type of end closure. For example, the container is supported adequately on all six surfaces with board reinforcement and particularly in times of scarcity can serve as a practical substitute for tin and glass, as is also true of my infolding type of container or package. In addition to this, the'simplicity of the seam structure does not require any sealing irons to afllx the top of the seam across the end closures and it will be appreciated that very simple types of machinery can be constructed to handle these fiat containers at a very high speed.

It will thus be seen that the objects hereinbefore set forth may be readily and efficiently obtained, and since certain changes may be made in the above described article and different embodiments of the invention could be made withtom closures formed by said top and bottom out departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense. q

It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein described, and all statements of the scope of the invention which, as a matter-of language, might be said tofall therebetween'.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure 'by Letters Patent is:

.1. .A container comprising a blank of reinforcing cardboard material, a' laminated sheet of paper and heat-scalable materialconstitutin'g a liner for said container to maize it hermetically sealed, said sheet being'of larger area than said cardboard and secured thereto and extending panels being inwardly folded with the heat-sealable material projecting therebetween inface-tomarginally therebeyond, all layers of the resulting composite construction having score lines impressed therein deflning front and end panels and top and bottom bottom closure panels adjacent said end panels having score lines defining triangular portions,

closure panels, said top and said triangular portions having adhesive applied thereto and a marginal stripe of adhesive applied along one edge of said cardboard, said composite construction being folded upon itself with the.

heat-scalable material in face-to face contact and sealed along its extension portion between front and and panels to provide a longitudinal seam, said seam being secured to'said marginal stripe of adhesive provide a tube, top and bot- -face contact, andbeing heat-sealed and downwardly folded against adiacent panels, said triangular portions containing said adhesive being sealed against said end panels.

2. A container comprising a blank of reinforcing cardboard material, a laminated sheet of paper and heatesealable material constituting a liner for said container to make it hermetically sealable, said sheet-being of larger area than said cardboard and secured thereto and extending marginally therebeyond to provide a composite construction, all layers of the resulting composite construction having crease lines impressed therein and defining front and end .panels and top and bottom. closure panels, said top and bottom closure panels adjacent said end panels having score lines deflningtriangular portions, said composite construction being folded with the heatesealable material in face-to-face contact and sealed along its marginal extending portions [between front-and end vpanels to provide a longitudinal seam, said seam being secured in folded a over position along an adjacent wall to provide a tube, and top and bottom closures provided by said top and bottom panels being inwardly folded with the heat-scalable material projecting therebetween in face-to-iace contact and being heat sealed and downwardly folded against an adiacent panel with each triangular portion being folded against its adiacentpanel and .secured in such pcdtion. t

t GEORGE ARLINGTON MOORE. 

